Diaper wringer



1957 E. M. WILLIAMS ETAL 3,338,076

DIAPER WRINGER Filed April 8, 1965 KIIIII I ESTHERAi/WZZBEMS E MAM/N 2OE- 4 M w il V 7 1 Br 21 I MZM/ M I ATTORNEY United States Patent3,338,076 DIAPER WRINGER Esther M. Williams, 1169 Hobart Drive,Marysville, Calif. 95901, and Jack E. McLaughlin, 676 King Ave., YubaCity, Calif. 95991 Filed Apr. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 446,518 Claims. (Cl.68-241) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A manually held diaper cleaner havinga passageway through which a wet diaper is adapted to be drawn forsqueezing the diaper to strip the water and impurities therefrom, thewalls of the passageway being formed to provide convergent channelsextending longitudinally of the passageway having sides of progressivelyincreasing width toward the convergent ends of the channels to applyprogressively increasing pressure as the diaper is drawn from saidconvergent ends.

Heretofore, a soiled diaper when removed from a baby is manually sloshedabout in water to free the major portion of excreta therefrom forwringing it from the diaper, and this wringing operation has usuallybeen effected manually by twisting the diaper. As a result, the handsare disagreeably contaminated and some of the solids are trapped in thefolds.

Each diaper has marginal areas that are clean when removed from a babyfor the initial rinse or cleaning above described, and by thepresentinvention the diaper may be held in one hand at any such area andsloshed in the water as described. Following this step, the majorportion of the water and the solid and liquid excreta in the diaper isquickly expelled from the diaper without touching it with the hands,other than at the clean area grasped by a hand and without the use of aroller type wringer or the like. Also, with the present invention, thewringing is accomplished while the diaper is held over the toilet bowlin which such diaper usually receives the initial cleaning. The meansfor performing this initial cleaning step is easily maintained in asanitary condition, and is economical to make, and easy to use.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a device havingthe advantages above mentioned, and which device overcomes theobjections to the method of cleaning heretofore practice, as abovedescribed.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view showing the wringing step by use ofthe present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view at line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a part sectional and part elevational view along line 4-4 ofFIG. 2.

In detail, the invention as it is illustrated in the drawings comprisesa head or body generally designated 1, which is formed with an openended central passageway 2 of a width adapted to closely encircle a wetdiaper 3 (FIG. 1), to be cleaned, when such diaper is grasped by onehand 4 of a person and is depending from said hand. The body 1 of thedevice may be supported by the other hand 5 as seen in FIG. 1.

The open ends of the central passageway 2 are coaxial, and the sidewalls 6 extend slantingly toward the axis of said open ends from saidone end thereof to the other end.

Said side walls are formed of adjoining wall sections 7 (FIG. 2) thatare angularly disposed relative to each other around the axis thereof toaccordion-pleated relation at the smaller open end of said passageway.The junctures between said wall sections are along lines ex- 3,338,076Patented Aug. 29, 1967 tending divergently outwardly from said smalleropen end to the larger open end, and which lines terminate at saidlarger open end along a circular line.

As seen in FIG. 2 by the above structure, the outline of the innersurface of the passageway at its smaller end is of generally star shape.The inner surfaces of said wall sections 7 are flat and extend generallylongitudinally of the passageway 2. Said surfaces on adjoining pairs ofsaid walls extend divergently relative to each other in a directiontransversely of the passageway, and this divergence becomesprogressively less from the larger to the smaller open end of thepassageway.

When the diaper 3 is in the position seen in FIG. 1, it will projectbetween the adjoining walls 7, and upon the diaper being drawn throughthe passageway in a direction from its larger to its smaller end, asindicated by arrow 8, or when the body 1 is moved in the direction ofarrow 9 or when relative movement of the diaper and holder in thedirections of said arrows simultaneously occurs, the diaper will beprogressively squeezed between the adjoining side walls themselves andbetween opposite sides of the passage, and the water ahead of thesmaller end of the passageway will flow downwardly to expel itself andto carry the excreta with it, rather than trapping it in the folds ofthe diaper.

This operation can readily be performed over a toilet bowl, within a fewseconds time without the operator contacting the diaper other thanholding it by a clean area by hand 4.

The body 1 of the device preferably includes a cylindrical outer bodyportion 10 that is preferably heavier or more rigid than the walls 7,and the ends of walls 7 at the larger end of passageway 2 are integrallyconnected with one circular end of said outer body portion 10. A row ofdrain openings 13 are formed in said body 1 along the juncture betweenwalls 7 and one end of the cylindrical outer body 10 to permit drainageof any water that may enter the space between the wall sections 7 andsaid cylindrical outer body portion.

In order to facilitate positioning the diaper 3 in substantially theinitial starting position shown in FIG. 1, and to manipulate the body 1,including the outer body portion 10, said body is bisectedlongitudinally of the passageway 2 to provide two halves, generallydesignated 14, 15 (FIG. 2). The plane of division extends through thejuncture between a pair of adjoining Wall sections 7 at each of twoopposite sides of the body 1, and each of the adjoining wall sections ateach of said two opposite sides is connected with the outer body portionby a web 16 (FIG. 2) that extends the full length of the passageway 2.The flat engaging surfaces of these webs, is best seen in FIG. 4, inwhich the surface of one of each of the webs in the half 14 is shown inelevation.

The halves 14, 15 of the body 1, including portion 10, are each providedwith a laterally projecting handle, the handle on half 14 beingdesignated 17, and the handle on half 15 being designated 18. Theseconnect with the halves at the end of the outer body 10 at the large endof passageway 2.

Handles 14, 15 cross each other scissors fashion at 19, and at the pointof crossing, the handle 17 is formed with a pivot 20 (FIG. 4),integrally therewith, that extends through an opening 21 formed inhandle 18. This pivot projects outwardly of the opening in handle 18 anda snap ring 22 is yieldably held in an annular groove 23 formed in theprojecting end of said pivot, to releasably hold the handles together.

The halves 14, 15, including the handles 17, 18 thereon, are eachpreferably molded from any suitable plastic material, such aspolyethylene, so that the walls 7 are semirigid, yet resilient, and theinner surfaces of said walls are quite smooth so as to offer littlefrictional resist ance in a wringing operation. At the larger diameterend of passageway 2 where it joins the outer body 10, the edges arerounded, as at 25, which provides a slight outward flare to facilitaterelative movement between the diaper and the body when the diaper isbeing wrung.

The handles 17, 18 being connected with body 1 adjacent to the largerend of passageway 2 prevents the handles from tending to twist in thehand during a wringing operation since the body tends ot automaticallyposition itself correctly.

All parts of the device are quickly cleaned, and drainage from therestricted end of the passage 2 is rapid since the spacing between theadjoining side walls 7 becomes progressively greater than the spacingshown in FIG. 2, as the walls 7 extend to the larger lower end of thedevice. Since the body 1 may quickly be opened, access to the face ofeach half of the passageway 2 may be instantly accomplished.

It is believed that the operation of the device is clear. While the wordwringer is used, it is not intended tomean that the diaper is twisted bythe device any more than the diaper would be twisted in a roller-typewringer. The action itself is more of a stripping action, and it isadapted to be accomplished so quickly that the flow of water ahead ofthe body 1 is in itself substantially a flushing action that carriesevery loose solid with it.

The detailed description is not intended to be restrictive of theinvention, the scope thereof being limited only by the claims annexedhereto.

We claim:

1. A diaper wringer comprising:

(a) a body formed with an open ended passageway of a width adapted toclosely encircle a wet diaper depending from one of its marginalportions in which;

(b) the open ends of said passageway are coaxial, and the side wallsthereof are of semi-rigid, resilient material slanting toward the axisof said passageway from one open end thereof to the other open end;

(c) said side walls being pairs of wall sections extending substantiallyfrom said one end to said other 'end angularly disposed relative to eachother in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said passageway toaccordion pleated relation at said other open end providing radiallyinwardly opening recesses between adjacent pairs of said wall sectionsextending generally longitudinally of said axis but slantingly towardsaid axis from said one end, said wall sections of adjacent pairs beingof progressively increasing width from said one end to said other end,and spaced apart a progressively decreasing distance from said one endto said other end whereby portions of a diaper in said passageway willprogressively enter said recesses for squeezing between said walls upondrawing said diaper through said passageway from said one end or uponmoving said body away from a held end of said diaper when said diaper isin said passageway and said body is moved relative to and away from saidheld end.

2. In a diaper wringer as defined in claim 1:

(d) a handle secured to said body and projecting later- 4 ally therefromfor grasping by the hand to hold said body during said relative movementbetween said body and said diaper.

3. In a diaper wringer as defined in claim 1:

(d) said body being divided axially thereof to provide symmetricalhalves;

(e) a pair of handles respectively connected with said halves andextending laterally therefrom, scissors fashion, to side-by-siderelation for holding together in one hand of a person during a wringingoperation in crossing relation at a point adjacent to said body;

(f) a pivot connecting said handles at said point for swinging saidhalves to open relation upon swinging the outer ends of said handlesapart, and for swinging said halves together to diaper engaging relationupon swinging said handles toward each other.

4. In a diaper wringer as defined in claim 1:

(d) the outline of said one open end being substan-. tially circular,and said body including an annular outer body portion coaxial with saidaxis, connected with the Walls of said passageway around said one openend and extending generally toward said other open end but spacedoutwardly of the walls of said passageway, and V (e) drain openingsformed in said outer body portion along its juncture with said walls ofsaid passageway at said one open end of the latter.

5. In a diaper wringer as defined in claim 4:

(f) said body being divided axially thereof to provide symmetricalhalves;

(g) a pair of handles respectively connected with the outer bodyportions of said halves and extending laterally therefrom, scissorsfashion, to side-by-side relation for holding together in one hand of aperson during a wringing operation in crossing relation at a pointadjacent to said body;

(h) a pivot connecting said handles at said point for swinging saidhalves upon swinging the outer ends of said handles apart, to receive adiaper between the walls of said passageway, and for swinging saidhalves together to diaper encircling relation upon swinging the outerends of said handles together.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 177,400 5/1876 Hurcombe 814251,952,824 3/1934 Schulman 15-263 2,062,389 12/1936 Bleibler 118125 X2,366,077 12/1944 Wildy et al 118-125 2,808,594 10/1957 Hodgson 68-241 X2,808,716 10/ 1957 Zum Brunnen 68-273 2,961,683 11/1960 Meyer 152363,037,234 6/1962 Mann 15263 3,212,303 10/ 1965 Haffner et a1 68235FOREIGN PATENTS 12,541 V 1911 Great Britain.

LOUIS O. MAASSEL, Primary Examiner.

1. A DIAPER WRINGER COMPRISING: (A) A BODY FORMED WITH AN OPEN ENDEDPASSAGEWAY OF A WIDTH ADAPTED TO CLOSELY ENCIRCLE A WET DIAPER DEPENDINGFROM ONE OF ITS MARGINAL PORTIONS IN WHICH; (B) THE OPEN ENDS OF SAIDPASSAGEWAY ARE COAXIAL, AND THE SIDE WALLS THEREOF ARE OF SEMI-RIGID,RESILIENT MATERIAL SLANTING TOWARD THE AXIS OF SAID PASSAGEWAY FROM ONEOPEN END THEREOF TO THE OTHER OPEN END; (C) SAID SIDE WALLS BEING PAIRSOF WALL SECTIONS EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY FROM SAID ONE END TO SAID OTHEREND ANGULARLY DISPOSED RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER IN A PLANE PERPENDICULARTO THE AXIS OF SAID PASSAGEWAY TO ACCORDION PLEATED RELATION AT SAIDOTHER OPEN END PROVIDING RADIALLY INWARDLY OPENING RECESSES BETWEENADJACENT PAIRS OF SAID WALL SECTIONS EXTENDING GENERALLY LONGITUDINALLYOF SAID AXIS BUT SLANTINGLY TOWARD SAID AXIS FROM SAID OTHER END, SAIDWALL SECTIONS OF ADJACENT PAIRS BEING OF PROGRESSIVELY INCREASING WIDTHFROM SAID ONE END TO SAID OTHER END, AND SPACED APART A PROGRESSIVELYDECREASING DISTANCE FROM SAID ONE END TO SAID OTHER END WHEREBY PORTIONSOF A DIAPER IN SAID PASSAGEWAY WILL PROGRESSIVELY ENTER SAID RECESSESFOR SQUEEZING BETWEEN SAID WALLS UPON DRAWING SAID DIAPER THROUGH SAIDPASSAGEWAY FROM SAID ONE END OR UPON MOVING SAID BODY AWAY FROM A HELDEND OF SAID DIAPER WHEN SAID DIAPER IS IN SAID PASSAGEWAY AND SAID BODYIS MOVED RELATIVE TO AND AWAY FROM SAID HELD END.